Xbox One gets mobile purchasing and more in August update

Above: The game store on Xbox One was a big part of the healthy December.

Image Credit: Microsoft

This summer hasn’t seen a ton of new game releases, but at least Microsoft is prepping an update for the Xbox One. That’s something. Right?

The new-gen system is about to get another round of new features and fixes in August. Microsoft revealed that a big update is in the works, and gamers who have elected to test new patches early in the Xbox Live beta program will start seeing it soon. Microsoft tries to update the Xbox One on a monthly schedule, and these rapid improvements have enabled the company to quickly add compelling features that people are asking for. The company has also worked to add any features that Sony’s PlayStation 4 has that are missing from Xbox One.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the big changes coming in the August update:

Mobile purchasing: Xbox One owners can now use the Xbox SmartGlass mobile app or Xbox.com to buy digital games while away from home. This will wake up the Xbox One and automatically start downloading the new game. The PS4 has had this feature since launch.

Updated Activity feed: Microsoft is changing the Xbox One’s Activity feed, which is an app that shows players what their friends have played and accomplished recently, so that it is one column that features more content. Players can even post Facebook-style text updates or “like” others’ posts.

Expanded Friends section on Home menu: The Xbox One will now surface more info about your online friends right on the home menu. No more digging through a separate Friends app.

Low-battery notification: Xbox One will now warn you with a popup message when your controller’s battery is getting low.

Disable notifications during video: You can set your system so it automatically stops pushing notifications to you during video playback.

This update will also enable 3D Blu-ray support as well as the capability to see how long since your friends were last online.

Microsoft posted a walkthrough of some of the features, and you can check it out in the video below: